The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-05
ABRAHAM AND ISAAC.
Or. cURTlss' NOTES ON THE SUN.
DAY SCHOOL LESSON


hams li'c II was fitting that the father OF
TIE people o; redemption should pass through
T., Lo;h for tho effect on himself and on his
po,.n" -, national ~ well as spiritual.
A'.lor"h hundred years old, through
co. miraculous power hc had become tho
haupy father 81 tho long promised son. AT
Coils command his other son, lshmael. bad
been 70. sel with his mother, for Isaac was
~ be- hi, on heir On the life OF Isaac, Tor
whom he had waited 80 long, Gods covenant
anl every promise that he had made de-
pended.
THE LESSON.
The Testing Of Abraham ". N-After the
events described in the preceding chapter God
proved Revised Version Abraham, or put
him 10 the final test. So far Us God was con-
cern.d this was unnecessary, for hc knew oil
about his servant But Abraham was to
stand before his people and those OF every ago
as an Example Of faith Rom, Nv, II, 10 there
fore God puts him TO tho test God did not
tempt him as wa commonly understand this
word We associate with temptation the
idea of sin TIE New Testament distinctly
declares that it is impossible that God should
tempt any ono flames !, ~. He simply
proves his chosen servants compare Matt.
", u a. men prove machinery which Is to do
an important work and Is lable TO be sub
jected to great strain
We This verse contains climax. Zach
word in the divine command must have gone
20 Abraham's heart like dagger, piercing
deeper and deeper. God says ". y, "Abra-
ham"--name which was given him a. q
prophecy that he should be father OF many
natons-"tal.e thy SON." and that be may
not mistake which, or think OF lshmael. be
adds, shine only son." through whom alone
all the promises that have been made are
possible, whom thou lowest" dear as the
opple OF his eye, isaac" Qaushter)-a name
associated with such happy memories before
aIll after his birth.
The mountain alluded to here In tho land
Of Morah is supposed by many TO be Mount
Moriah, the site Of Solomons temple OIL Chron.
iii, y, which throughout every subsequent pc
riod Of IsraelitiSh history has been the most
sacred spot on all the earth. This is ques.
ton that we cannot definitely decide, and
which Is Of minor importance: and yet, az
we shall see later on, Mount Moriah seems to
be indicated.
The command does not appear TO have ex-
cited the surprise and horror in the mind OF
Abraham that we should expect. Perhaps
the reason of this Is in the fact that human
sacrifices were common among the people Of
Canaan, as We learn from the Scriptures di
Kings xvi, 3: Ps. cvi, 50. rs well a from
other sources. Abraham, therefore, was not
likely TO be shocked because be was called
upon to offer up his son.
Abraham's Implicit Obedience ". 3-As
soon as he receives the command he prepares
to obey. He who had pleaded for the preser-
walton OF Sodom on account OF Lot makes no
plea for his SON Taking All ASS, and . couple
OF servants rs attendants, he goes III tho di-
rection that God had indicated.
VS. 40. On the third day he sees the place
afar of. He then bids the young men 70 10
main with the ass while he and his son go and
worship and return. Evidently he still hopes
that this will lie the case. and utters the Ian.
gllage of his heart when he speaks OF return
ing to them with Isaac
VS.. 6-S. We have in these verses the affect.
Ing details Of the final journey Of father and
son. The wood is carried by Isaac, while
Abraham takes the fire with which he Is to
light the sacrifice and the knife with which
he is to STAY it. Doubtless this part OF the
Journey was silent one. Abrahams heart
must have been too full for utterance. Isaac,
with Oriental Difference, does not speak TO his
father until he asks the question regarding
the sacrifice: Behold the fire and the wood;
but where is the lamb for the burnt offer
ingp Abraham replies, God will provide
himself the lamb for the burnt Offering, my
SON." He could not utter the awful truth to
his son; but we are not to suppose that there
is an evasion here on his part any more than
when he tells the servant that he will return
with Isaac. He still hopes that he win not
be called on to slay bis son
VS.. 0-l0. He does not falter, however, in
his obedience. Arriving ct the place be
builds tho altar--probably something after
the model described In Exodus xx, 24-25-ar-
ranges the wood, binds bis son Isaac, and lays
bin on the altar, on the wood. Only after
all these preparations are made, perhaps with
the hope that deliverance may yet como, doss
he at last take the knife to slay his SON Ac-
cording to the decription given OF the sac
riiices in the Mosaic ritual 1t was customary
80 slay the victim first and then put him ON
the altar LEV. u.
A Complete Sacreflce Tvs ll-l2)-The mo.
inent Abraham took the knife 10 STAY his son,
the sacrifice was complete. God did not de-
sire the life Of Isaac He thus clearly shows
that he does not demand human sacrifices
Micah vi, 7-S. But Abraham had as truly
surrendered his son TO God as though he had
plunged tho knife into his heart Heb. Il, H.
l9.
1t is the angel OF Jehovah that calls to him
from heaven and bids him not to do any thing
10 the lad The angel is represented as say
ing that now he knows that Abraham fears
God because he had not withheld hts son, his
only son from him. This language, however.
Is accommodated to Abrahsm's understand
ing. We have learned that God knows all
things but Abraham perhaps did NOT clearly
know it. We thus have Gvd represented q
condescendins to the imperfect knowledge Of
his servant here as well as in other places,
and as gaining knowledge as II he were man
(Gen II, 8, xviii, 81. The truth that God
knows all things was indeed partially sppre-
hended at that time Gen. xvi, IS. Revised
Version, but it was not clearly revealed unt1
afterward FPS, cxxxix).
v. H. As Abraham has said to Isaac, God
did provide himself sacrifice. At the very
moment that the angel Of Jehovah had ap-
ished speaking, Abraham saw . ram behind
him caught by his horns In the thicket He
took him therefore and offered him in placs
Of his son.
The Lord will Provide ". lA-Abraham,
after this joyful experience, gives the place
y,l H.. n IA